


In The End

by estriel



Series: January Joys 2020 [4]
Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Light Angst, M/M, True Love, Yuzu's Ankles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:42:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22120471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/estriel/pseuds/estriel
Summary: “Please,” you gasp at the young employee when she inquires after your relationship with the patient.  “We’re – I’m –,” you struggle to find a fitting word to describe what Yuzu is to you, what you are to him.
Relationships: Javier Fernández/Yuzuru Hanyu
Series: January Joys 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593763
Comments: 10
Kudos: 66





	In The End

**Author's Note:**

> **Please mind the "injury" tag.** It's nothing drastic, but there is some sadness. 
> 
> Prompt for January 4th was _trash can_, I used _trash_ but it's barely the focus of the fic.

Yuzu.

He’s all you can think about as you stumble through the brightly hospital hallway towards the information desk.

“Please,” you gasp at the young employee when she inquires after your relationship with the patient. “We’re – I’m –,” you struggle to find a fitting word to describe what Yuzu is to you, what you are to him.

You’re technically not next of kin, technically you’re _nothing_, which means they don’t need to let you see him, don’t need to even tell you anything…

Something in your face must betray your desperation, or maybe it’s the accent – whatever it is, it works. The woman – Tracy, her nametag reads, and you would smile if the situation were different – nods and directs you to the second floor, on the right, room 213.

You race up the steps as if you were being timed, then come to a halt in front of a white lacquered door.

What if he doesn’t want to see you? What if he’s asleep? What if he’s – god, no, you stop yourself before your mind can run to places you’d rather not visit.

You draw a shaky breath, knock. When there’s no response, you open the door as quietly as you can.

  
The room is white, sterile – the walls, the bed, even the light that filters in through the open blinds. Yuzu’s hair is a shock of black against the white sheets, but his skin nearly blends in.

You must make a sound because Yuzu stirs, turns his head. He looks pale, his face almost as white as the bandage wrapped around his head, but when he spots you, his lips pull into a small smile.

“Javi?” he says, and his voice cracks. He reaches for the cup of water on the nightstand, takes a sip.

“I – I thought –,” you say, not sure what you even want to say. All you know is that you heard Yuzu was in the hospital, that he’d had an accident, and that you knew that instant that you needed to see him.

“Come here,” Yuzu says, and gestures with his hand. You do, pull up the chair to sit next to the bed. Yuzu drops his hand back onto the sheets, but his gaze lingers, and after a moment, you take it, squeeze his fingers lightly. Yuzu lets out a small sigh, closes his eyes for a moment.

“Are you alright?” you blurt, but of course that is a stupid question. He’s in a hospital, of course he’s not alright.

“Is okay,” Yuzu whispers. “Head is fine, just a little bump. Clumsy,” he adds with a shrug when he sees you glance up at the bandages. “The ankle – “ His hand twitches in yours, and you hold on tighter. The ankle. Always the ankle.

“What happened?” you ask because you hadn’t waited long enough to ask about the details, hadn’t thought of inquiring. Getting here was more important.

“I was taking out trash,” Yuzu says and it’s such a banal thing, such an everyday thing, that your mind struggles to wrap itself around it. “I was only wearing slippers, and it was really, really icy.” Another shrug. “Stupid.”

“And your ankle?” you ask.

This time, Yuzu doesn’t shrug. He closes his eyes, exhales.

“No,” you breathe because it cannot be. The universe could not possibly be so cruel.

“Yes,” Yuzu says, and his voice quivers – only a little, and you can’t help but admire him, his strength, how he can lie here calmly and accept this.

“Shit,” you spit through gritted teeth. “Yuzu, I’m – god. I’m so sorry. Your dream – “

Yuzu opens his eyes, and they are dewy, but he smiles, and his eyes warm up as they settle on yours. “Maybe is time to stop dreaming,” he says slowly, thoughtfully. He lifts his hand, the one that’s not in yours. Reaches out towards you, your face, a fingertip tracing your jawline. “Maybe is time to start living.”

You stare at him, at the softness in his gaze, at the way he bites his lip, and you know he’s hiding his pain, but there’s also more, familiar – that thing you’ve never dared look at too closely, like longing, and hope, and something beautiful just for you.

“Whatever you need,” you say, and lean into his touch, cover the hand on your cheek with yours. “Anything. Everything. I wish I could do something to help, I – “

“Just be with me, Javi,” Yuzu says, and you know what he means: not only now, not only here. You know, of course you do, and that is what made you come running at the mere thought he might be hurt, that is what made you move back to Toronto nearly two years ago now. It’s the one thing that’s always made sense, the one thing you don’t have words for when a hospital employee asks you what you are to each other.

“I will,” you say. “I am.” You turn your head a little, just enough to be able to kiss his palm. “Always, love,” you whisper. 

And when he responds with “_Come here_” once again, you do. You do, and you kiss him, soft and delicate, and feel him breathe into your mouth, and you know that somehow, things might just be alright, in the end.


End file.
